From the City of Brotherly Love

[Kandice M Zeman]

 From the City of Brotherly Love this morning, prayers for survivors, for
victims, for families and friends, for emergency teams still working in
both New York and DC, and for all of us who are forever changed.  "Hear
our prayers, in this, our hour of need."

Philadelphia is a city eerily quiet this morning.  People here are walking
around with blank faces -- no one is saying much of anything.  We have
guards on many of our street corners.  There are police officers watching
people walk blankly up and down the steets as they file back into office
buildings, schools, and stores.  No one knows what to do or say; so we
don't say anything and we pretend that we are doing all the normal things
we always do.  But we aren't normal anymore.

I hear planes flying outside of my office as I type.  Military planes.
They are watching this city and this nation as we try to go about our
normal Wednesday business.  But they are not normally here.  It is an
unusual day for those military pilots.  As it unusual is for me.  As it is
unusual for everyone.  My comfort -- as horrible as it is -- is knowing
that I am not the only one who is scared.  I am not the only one is
afraid.  I am not the only one who will cry today.

May peace find it's way -- although the journey is long, it is true.  May
we find peace for ourselves, for our nation, and for our world.  May the
violence end here.  I send a message of peace this morning from The City
of Brotherly Love.

Kandice